Rebuilding
by cavlik97
Summary: Another story like all the others...between 19 yrs later and the Deathly Hallows.Incorporates happenings from books and movies but sticks mainly to the books.Is a companion story to my Albus Potter series.better than it sounds, give it a chance!please?:P
1. The Gryffindor Passageway

**A/N: Ahh, sigh, I know, I really should not be starting a new story but after rewatching part 2 for about the millionth time, I just couldn't resist. This first chapter is a bit...well, it's not AMAZING but I'm sorta okay with it:) I haven't really posted in this archive but just letting you know, I am MAD about harry potter, like for five years, now. Aaanyway, I hope you like this story because it's one of my only good HP ones:)**

**Enjoy!**

When Harry woke, after what seemed like a month of sleeping, he slowly came to realise that the upper half of his body was filled with aches that he hadn't felt since his last injury from Quidditch. Harry lay there for a moment. He could hear calling, cheering, crying, laughing, yelling...all that echoed and bounced off the stone walls of the castle. Harry turned, and then winced, rolling back onto his back. He couldn't remember what he had done to his right arm but he was pretty certain that Madam Pomfrey could tell him. He kicked back the covers and lifted his dirt stained shirt, grimacing at the large, red, vaguely lightening shaped scar on his chest, almost identical to the one on his forehead. Above it was the light outline of an octagon.

The locket's scar.

Harry pulled down his shirt again, sighing as he stared up at the stone ceiling. As the sleep began to leave him, he tried to recall where he might've received all his batters and bruises. He could barely remember any of the details of the battle. Whilst running through the destruction and despair of Hogwarts, several curses and lots of rubble could've hit him...not that he would've noticed. A clear but evidently sad laugh came cutting through the air into Harry's ears. His heart stirred and he sat up straight.

Ginny.

The last time Harry could remember being within close proximity of her (and her being aware of it) was when she'd pulled him into a brief kiss on the top of the stairwell sometime during the battle. She'd whispered two, gentle words to Harry before they'd parted ways. _I know. _The short but meaningful sentence repeated itself through Harry's ears several times.

_I know. I know. I know. I know. _

She'd known. She'd understood that he a job to do...a job nobody else would be able to complete. A job that might end his life...and so many others but a job that could also save the world. And it had. At a _terrible _price.

Then, memories flooded Harry. Snape's memories; Ron and Hermione's make-out session halfway through the battle; the destruction of each horcrux; Fred's death; Lupin and Tonks' bodies; the final showdown on the podium; Ginny with her head on her mother's shoulder; Bellatrix's death; the confrontation in the forest; the conversation with Dumbledore...

The memories filled Harry in no particular order and he sat there, sifting through them until he could make sense of the last 48 hours. Finally, the truth dawned on him

Voldemort was _dead. _

'Harry?' a soft voice said, interrupting his realisation. Harry looked up to see Ginny, the exact person he wanted to see, looking over at him from the doorway. She was dressed in new clothes. Jeans that Harry recognised from the previous year and a top that could've been identified as Hermione's. Ginny's hair was pulled back in a high ponytail to reveal scars, cuts and bruises all over her neck and the side of her face. She had a bandage wrapped around her left arm...her eyes were slightly red from crying and Harry could see the toll the battle had taken on her.

'Hey,' he replied, just as quietly. 'What're you doing here?'

'Checking on you,' she said, stepping forward to sit on the end of Harry's bed. 'We all take turns to check that you're awake. You slept all day.'

'All _day_?' Harry yelped, jumping out of his covers. 'Why didn't anybody wake me?'

'We all agreed you needed the rest,' Ginny said. 'Ron's still asleep, too. Hermione couldn't though. She's been helping out in the hospital wing all day.'

'Has...' Harry swallowed, the sentence coming out as a croak. 'Has anybody else been found?'

Harry knew that Ginny could tell he didn't mean alive. Ginny shook her head. 'No more casualties than already identified.' Her voice cracked on the last word and she squeezed her eyes shut, curling her hand into a tight fist. Harry walked over, sitting beside her and uncurling her hands, gently.

'How are you?' he asked. She opened her eyes. 'I don't know,' she confessed. 'I really don't.'

There was a small silence between them, until Ginny spoke up again. 'Do you want something to eat?'

It was only then that Harry realised he was positively _starving. _His stomach rumbled and he glanced up at Ginny, grinning.

'I think that answers it,' he said, relieved to see her smile as well. She pulled him to his feet, glancing over at Ron momentarily, who was snoring into his pillow. Harry snorted with muffled laughter. The sight was so familiar...it felt like he was home again.

'You're lucky,' Ginny said, guiding Harry somewhere in the dormitory he'd never been before. 'All the reporters are gone. McGonogal shooed them away early in the afternoon. They've been wrecking havoc all morning.'

'If Rita Skeeter turns up...' Harry began ferally.

'Hermione already had a word with her,' Ginny smirked. 'Don't think we'll be seeing her for a while.'

'Gin, where are we _going_?' Harry demanded, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

'Everybody's out there in the common room,' explained Ginny. 'I thought you wouldn't want to be bombarded with publicity. During this year, we built new tunnels and passageways, all of which lead to either the Great Hall or the Room of Requirement. We're going to the Great Hall.' She slipped her hand into Harry's, murmuring 'Lightning will strike' at the stone panels in the corner of the dormitory. Harry frowned but his eyes widened as the panels creaked and groaned, parting and moving until there was a hole, just big enough for one person to crawl in at a time. Ginny went first and she whistled lowly, cueing Harry to go in after her. It was completely dark, and Harry realised he'd left his wand under his pillow.

'_Lumos_,' Ginny whispered and a small, blue light at the tip of her wand appeared. 'Follow me,' she ordered. Harry nodded, following her every footstep as she led the way through the dark, cramped passage. He stumbled over stones and rocks, cussing angrily at one point when a stone flew up and hit him in the chest.

'This was a hurried passage,' Ginny said apologetically. 'A third year...you remember Roger? Yeah, he got into a bit of trouble with Carrows and we needed a way to get him out of there fast. Me 'n Luna built this.'

'Wow,' Harry said in admiration. 'I can't believe how well you guys kept the DA under wraps this year.'

'Keeping it alive was the one thing that gave us hope.' After speaking, Ginny stopped suddenly, Harry crashing into her.

'What the...?'

'Shh!' Ginny hissed, pressed her fingers against his lips. She stepped away from him cautiously, peering through a small hole that allowed light to shine through into the passage. She groaned. 'Oh no. My aunt and uncle are here. Patrick and Connie.'

'So?' Harry asked. Ginny sighed. 'They want me, seeing as I'm the only girl, to carry on the fashion shop in Diagon Alley.'

'And you don't want to,' Harry guessed. Knowing Ginny...there was no way she was going to follow a set path. Ginny nodded. She grimaced and grabbed Harry's hand, saying 'Help will always be given at Hogwarts' into the stone, which once again parted and allowed the two to exit the passageway. Immediately, cheering and congratulating broke out in the hall and Harry, his cheeks burning, glanced down at his shoes. He, inwardly, didn't feel as if he deserved an ounce of praise. He'd just carried out instructions. Anyone could've done that.

'Harry! Ginny!' Hermione called from what seemed to be the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ginny hurried over to her, taking a seat at the table. Harry's stomach rumbled again and immediately, eggs, potatoes and tomatoes appeared on his plate.

'The elves are limited,' Ginny explained at his perplexed look.

'Ginny, _darling_!' a voice cried and Harry held back his laugh as Ginny was smothered in a hug from a plump, short woman.

'Auntie Connie,' she said through grit teeth. 'How are you?'

'Oh, I'm fine, dear, I wasn't in this battle, how are _you_?' Connie blabbered. Her eyes paused on Ginny's bandaged arm. The bandage had slid down a bit, revealing the top of quite an ugly wound.

Harry felt his stomach turn. 'Was that where Bellatrix's curse...'

'Narrowly missed me?' Ginny finished. 'Yeah.'

Harry turned his attention strongly to his food to stop himself from reliving the moment. He'd never been so scared in his life. He shook the thought out of himself.

Kingsley stood up on the podium, giving a very heavily applauded speech, announcing that the Ministry had indeed been taken back and slowly, the world had already started to rebuild itself. Harry caught parts of the speech but he kept staring down at his reflection in the plate. The scarred, tired, proclaimed hero stared back at him. He felt sick. He needed...

He looked up.

He needed to talk to Dumbledore. Without even excusing himself, Harry left the table, to everyone's confusion, and hurried out of the Great Hall.

**A/N: My friend is pissed because I am sooo cannon at most things I get addicted to but I think that Ginny and Harry are an ADORABLE couple so screw you friend who will not be named who is looking up Drarry on my computer :/**

**Aaaaaanyway! **

**If you like, **

**read and review! **

**-chimi:)**


	2. The Pensieve's Explanation

**A/N: Yaaay! REVIEWS! I love reviews, they keep me happy, even on this shitty day:) sooo, here you are, chapter two! A lot of book is incorporated into this chapter so bear with me... P.S. off to India tomorrow so I might not be updating for a leeetle while:) **

Dumbledore...along with all the other headmasters...had extremely inconveniently, turned out to be asleep. Harry kicked Dumbledore's desk angrily. He needed somebody to talk to. Somebody who would understand! And he refused to go seeking out the resurrection stone in the forest and drive himself mad. He threw his wand to the ground and the clatter rang out through the room, the phoenix feather wand rolling under a desk. Harry swore under his breath, dropping to his knees to try and get it.

'God dammit, Harry, what the hell's going on?' a voice cried, startling him. Harry whipped round to see Ginny, standing in the doorway like the last time she'd surprised him, but this time, her arms were folded and she looked...well..._pissed._

'I needed time alone,' Harry muttered.

'Here?' Ginny countered, unimpressed. Harry nodded up at Dumbledore's portrait. Ginny followed the direction of his gaze and understanding fell into her features. She sighed, kneeling down beside Harry. 'Talk to me,' she begged. 'Ron and Hermione know everything and the only reason you kept it from me was to avoid putting me in danger. Well, the danger's gone now...so please, tell me.'

'You wouldn't understand...' Harry began but Ginny cut him off, firmly. 'Then _make _me understand! You broke up with me because of whatever happened this year! You left me here, wondering why and crying myself to sleep for months before I got over myself and figured there had to be a perfectly reasonable and heroic explanation for this! And if there isn't one, then tell me so that I can storm out of this room and never speak to you again because I haven't decided whether I've forgiven you or not!'

Harry didn't reply, trying not to look at her glare. He reached out at clasped his wand in his hand, bringing it up to his ear and whispering a soft spell that Dumbledore had taught him the year previous. A silvery substance floated out of his ear and Harry ignored Ginny's choke of astonishment as he cast the silver into the Pensieve. He gestured to Ginny, who cautiously approached him.

'Take my hand,' he said, mirroring her words from last year. It was a gentle command, rather than a request. Ginny obeyed and Harry manipulated her gaze to fall to the Pensieve. She seemed to suddenly understand what she had to do and together, they both fell into the silvery, liquid memory.

When they emerged, Harry found themselves in the hospital wing after his battle with Professor Quirrel. Ginny stayed silent, listening curiously as Dumbledore explained about the power of Lily's love and how it protected Harry from Quirrel's touch. Then, the memories contorted and Ginny gasped, stumbling back into Harry as they appeared in a graveyard.

'_Kill the spare,_' said a quiet hiss and Ginny clutched Harry's arm, knowing full well what was about to come next.

'_Avada Kedavra_!'

Ginny buried her face in Harry's shoulder as Cedric flew backwards, eagle-eyed, arms spread out. Harry saw his own, fourteen year old face, terrified, confused...

'Look,' he said to Ginny, who lifted her face. Harry could see her eyes were stinging with tears. He glanced down, seeing Ginny, eyes wide, her gaze fixed on the occurrence in front of her. She squeezed her eyes shut when Wormtail plunged a knife into fourteen year old Harry's arm. She quickly opened them again, terror clouding her brown eyes as she saw Voldemort rise again.

After the taunting and Voldemort's explanations to the Death Eaters, finally, the duel that had haunted Harry ever since took place. When the wands connected, Ginny looked faint and then her jaw dropped. Harry swallowed, watching as his parents squeezed themselves out of his wand, Cedric too, the old man, Frank and all the other victims of Voldemort's murders. Then, the memory twisted again and they were in Dumbledore's office, him and Sirius muttering about _Priori Incantatum _and Harry saw Ginny intense look of concentration as she started to piece things together. Then, brief flashes of his fifth year appeared before them. Ginny could hold back a scream of horror when she saw her father being attacked by Nagini. Then, it shifted to the battle in the Ministry, which didn't last for long as Ginny was quite aware what had happened then. However, what she was not prepared for, was what came afterwards.

The quiet confrontations Ginny watched through but she staggered backwards when the yelling started.

'Harry,' Dumbledore was saying softly, 'suffering like this proves you are still a man! This pain is part of being human –'

'THEN – I – DON'T – WANT – TO – BE – HUMAN!' fifteen year old Harry roared, seizing a silver instrument and flinging it across the room.

'I DON'T CARE! I'VE HAD ENOUGH, I'VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE –'

Present Harry glanced away, still embarrassed over his outburst at Dumbledore that day. Eventually, the yelling stopped and Dumbledore began to explain about the prophecy.

'_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ...' _

As Dumbledore brought up the fact that it may not have been Harry the prophecy was referring to, Ginny's eyes widened further and she pushed back loose strands of hair from her face, breathing heavily. 'Oh God,' she whispered. 'Is there more?'

'Much more,' Harry said with a short nod. 'Come on.' He took her hand again and the memory reformed into the sixth year. Ginny watched the crucial parts of Dumbledore's private lessons, understanding beginning to show upon her face, _real _understanding of the whole situation. Once up on the astronomy tower, she shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. 'No,' she begged, her voice coming out muffled. 'No, not this. I don't want to see this.'

'You need to,' Harry said softly. 'To understand.'

Ginny swallowed, looking up, a small sob escaping her as she saw Dumbledore, weak, fragile...scared.

'Severus ...'

Harry now didn't need to block out the echo of his voice because he knew...this was all an act, all of Dumbledore's fright, Snape's hatred...none of it was real and Ginny would know that soon enough.

'Severus ... please ...'

'_Avada Kedavra_!'

Ginny whimpered, leaning her head on Harry's shoulder. 'What else can there be?' she croaked. Harry chuckled, though there was no humour in his voice. 'Oh a lot. Trust me Ginny...a lot.'

The memories wrapped around each other, glimpses of Harry's year on the run flashing before the eyes. Each memory seemed to make Ginny stand a little straighter, slightly more energetically, just a bit stronger. When she realised the extent of Harry's thoughts about her, she actually smiled a tearful smile, shuffling closer to Harry. She watched, silent as she realised Snape's involvement and tears of admiration for the dead Slytherin headmaster glimmered in her eyes. Then, the memories changed and they were standing in the Forbidden Forest.

'Harry Potter,' Voldemort said softly. 'The boy who lived.'

There was a long, agonisingly painful silence, in which Harry murmured to Ginny 'I only thought about you just now' before Voldemort shouted out '_Avada Kedavra_!' and the entire world turned a bright, clear white. There was a growing mist and Harry suddenly gasped and clapped his hands over Ginny's eyes.

'What?' she cried, indignant.

'I'm naked in here,' Harry explained. He rolled his eyes at Ginny's snort of laughter and he waited until his memory self was decent before removing his hands. As soon as Ginny caught sight of the fleshy, bare, Voldemort looking child, she screamed. 'What the hell is that?' she cried.

'The part of Voldemort's soul, sent here to die,' Harry said, repeating Dumbledore's words as the old man himself approached. 'Now listen. This is...very important.'

As 'dead Harry' came to the realisation of why Voldemort and Harry were both still alive (_the blood_), Ginny wrinkled her nose in confusion, which slowly disappeared with each sentence being spoken about Voldemort, the horcruxes, the reasons, the bond between Harry and Voldemort, Lily's sacrifice...and then...they came to the Hallows.

'Master of death, Harry, master of Death! Was I better, ultimately, than Voldemort?' Dumbledore asked, sighing.

'Of course you were,' said Harry. 'Of course – how can you even ask that? You never killed if you could avoid it!'

'True, true,' said Dumbledore. 'Yet I, too, sought a way to conquer death, Harry.'

'Not the way he did,' dead Harry protested. 'Hallows, not Horcruxes.'

Dumbledore repeated the phrase, agreeing slightly.

'He's mad,' Ginny breathed.

'He's...not who we thought he was,' Harry admitted through his teeth. 'Listen.'

Ginny's body grew limp and faint again as Dumbledore confessed of the reality of the Hallows...and then...her face turned into utter shock when he began to tell of his past. She stared, listened, stunned, shell shocked, spell bounded... Dumbledore. A murderer, killer, a man who fought through everything and ignored everyone to get three, small objects...an ally of Grindelwald?

When Dumbledore began to cry of his mistakes and his faults, Harry felt Ginny shiver beside him and he wrapped his arm around her. This memory still made him shudder. And then...the explanation was over.

'I've got to go back, haven't I?' said the other Harry through an emotionless face.

'That is up to you.'

'I've got a choice?'

'Oh yes. We are in King's Cross, you say? I think that if you decided not to go back, you would able to ... let's say ... board a train.'

'And where would it take me?'

'On.'

Silence...and then more conversation...unimportant triva being shared, as Harry thought of it.

'Tell me one last thing,' other Harry requested. 'Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?'

'Of course it's happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?'

And then, the memories contorted, wrapping themselves around Ginny and Harry and the next thing Harry knew, he was stumbling away from the Pensieve, gasping. He glanced around, seeing Ginny, gazing at the liquid in the bowl, her breathing erratic and uncontrolled.

'He was...just as bad...?' she whispered. 'Dumbledore. Just as...cruel as Voldemort?'

'Not necessarily,' Harry said. 'They both sought a way to evade death but Dumbledore's ways were more...humane I guess. And he caught up with his wrongs. Voldemort never did.'

'I...' Ginny couldn't speak. 'I really don't know what to say. When I told you to make me understand, I had no idea...'

'That's why I didn't want to tell you,' said Harry softly. 'I didn't want you to know the pain I'd been going through.'

'But that's what I'm here for,' Ginny insisted, putting her soft hands over Harry's chest, one over his heart. 'It's what we're all here for.'

Harry nodded. 'So, do you forgive me?'

Ginny didn't answer immediately but the smile appeared instantly. 'I think so,' she murmured, leaning up to kiss him. She broke away after almost a couple of seconds, leaving Harry's lips tingling.

'I'm going down to the hospital wing,' she said, her lips still inches from his. 'I think it's my shift. I'll see you later.' She gave him one more, quick kiss before backing away from Harry's arms and slipping out of the office. Harry brought his bottom lip between his teeth, chewing it as the smile met his eyes.

'You know, Harry,' a gentle voice said, making Harry leap in shock and whirl around, wand raised. He saw Dumbledore, awake now in his portrait, arms folded. The old man grinned, his eyes twinkling. 'She's a keeper.'

Harry laughed, pocketing his wand and leaving the office, feeling as if a giant weight had suddenly been lifted off his shoulders and destroyed...never having to be mentioned again.

**A/N: Like? Hate...**

**Well, you know what to do: read and review:)**


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